Sheikah
by ZeldaStrife
Summary: Link has just awoken from the Shrine of Resurrection, but he is in desperate need of a wardrobe change. His first stop in Kakariko Village is the Enchanted Boutique, where he finds the perfect ensemble to save Hyrule from Calamity Ganon. Day 3 of Linktober 2019; vignette.


Link entered Kakariko Village in the middle eastern part of the massive kingdom of Hyrule. Everything, every place he visited so far since emerging from the Shrine of Resurrection had seemed so new and strange to him, but as he entered the small village he felt a sense of familiarity though it was miniscule. An elder Sheikah woman had been at the gate and had recognized him immediately as the princess's appointed knight from a century ago. At first, this had made Link's stomach clench in anxiety, but as he rode on horseback through the remainder of the Village, people saw him and they smiled.

Link dismounted his newly acquired horse, a midnight black steed he had named Onyx, and he timidly returned the waves of the people he met in the road. A lady stood outside her shop and excitedly called to him.

"Hey! Hey, new guy!" she called. "I just got a new shipment of really useful clothes! Come check 'em out!"

Link laughed under his breath, but guided Onyx to the post just outside the building and entered the lady's store. Looking at himself in the mirror, she could see why she had hailed him: he was dressed in brown pants that barely reached his ankles, shabby leather shoes, and a tattered, undyed shirt that was about two sizes too small. He looked like a street urchin, and certainly not like the princess's appointed knight.

"My name is Claree, and I own the Enchanted Boutique! I can outfit you in the latest and greatest Hylian and Sheikah styles!"

Link blushed and chuckled, shuffling his feet sheepishly. He could do with a warmer wardrobe at the very least.

"Let's see," Claree said, resting her chin on her thumb and forefinger as she sized up her newest patron. "I think I have a couple of options for you that will suit your needs."

Claree proceeded to walk him to each of her newest arrivals, which included a dark forest green and burgundy Hylian tunic with matching leather armor; a Hylian trousers and boots set; and a sharp-looking black Hylian hood, embroidered with white, gold, and ruby Sheikah designs. Link's eyes lit up at the trio of clothes and he expressed his interest to Claree.

"Well, hold on there, sir!" she replied, holding up her hand dramatically. "I have one more set to show you, and I think you're gonna wanna see it!"

Her store was not very large, so she turned around to another set of three display mannequins. These showcased a completely different style of clothes, and Link was definitely glad Claree had shown him these.

These were a Sheikah armor set. Steel grey armor emblazoned with the red Sheikah eye of truth covered dark blue, skin-tight leggings and matching shirt. The tabi boots looked comfortable and the greaves over the shins were wooden with the Sheikah eye of truth etched into them. The headpiece looked particularly stealthy with a linen scarf over the shoulders as well as a breathable mouth covering.

Link immediately inquired to its price.

"Eighteen hundred rupees," Claree replied with a cheshire cat smile.

Link whipped out his wallet and scooped out all the rupees he had acquired over the last week, and discovered he was quite a few, ah, thousand rupees short. He pursed his lips in annoyance and dismay.

"Hm," Claree replied disappointedly. "Well, you'll have to save up your rupees, and come back! Surely there are some odd jobs here you can do for some money!"

Link exited the shop empty-handed and still in disheveled clothes. Worse, it had started to rain, and these flimsy shoes were like paper when they got wet. He led Onyx through the rain and down the road, until he noticed another villager, a man, standing outside in the rain as well. He was staring at an enclosed pen which housed two cuccos. The man startled when he saw Link.

"Why are you out in the rain here, lad? I'm out here waiting for my cuccos to return! Surely they'll come back to get outta this rain! I'm missing eight of them!"

Link blinked in surprise, and offered to catch this man's remaining cuccos and he agreed to pay Link for his services. So Link did just that, searching high and low for each of Cado's cuccos, including one on the roof of a house, once the rain had stopped of course; Link knew it was dangerous to climb structures in poor weather. Cado paid him one hundred rupees for finding his cuccos.

And so Link's good deeds to the townspeople of Kakariko paid off: he played with Cottla; he reignited the goddess statue's torches; he collected ten fireflies (and found a shrine because of it); he helped Koko cook her mother's recipes; and told Pikango about the nearby Great Fairy Fountain. By the end of the day Link had amassed just enough rupees to buy the Sheikah armor set from the Enchanted Boutique.

The next morning, after spending the night outside the inn because he didn't have quite enough money to stay in a room and purchase the set, Link made his way quickly to Claree's shop. She was delighted that Link had returned and intended to buy all three pieces of the armor.

"I normally offer to wrap my customer's purchases in paper, but perhaps you want to go change in the dressing room…?" she pointed behind the counter to the store's antechamber, a small changing room. Link eagerly made his way to the closet-sized room, and changed into his new clothes. They felt so light on his skin, but they were also extremely comfortable, breathable, and fluid. The strangest asset to them was they were literally silent from the moment he put them on his body. Link made not a sound as he exited the stall and when he stood behind Claree she did not notice his approach.

Claree turned around from sorting different colored shirts on a etagere to find Link not standing a yard away from her. She screamed out loud and threw the shirts in her arms up in the air, sending them all over the shop's floor.

Link apologized profusely and helped her pick up the dropped items from the floor.

"It's quite alright," she replied. "I'd say that Sheikah armor works perfectly then! I didn't know if it really worked like the description said it would-you're the first person who's bought it!"

Link thought about this statement for a second, and then thought about the villagers he had seen today-all of them wore the same outfit, and none of them looked like the one he had just purchased.

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Claree assured him. "Yours is based off an older, legendary Sheikah, an ancestor to Impa herself!"

With that information, Link was satisfied and was simply happy to be warm and in properly fitting clothing. He thanked Claree before he made his way to the store's exit.

"Oh, hold on just a second, Link," she called after him.

Link tilted his head in confusion and curiosity as he watched Claree go behind the front desk. She rummaged through a drawer under the counter before she found the item she was seeking.

"I knew something was missing about this look, and I finally figured it out!" she said excitedly.

She held in her hands two small chopsticks. But these were not for food. She stepped behind Link and began to take his hair out of the short ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Link was taken by surprise as she pulled at his hair with a brush and then gathered it up at the crown of his head. She placed it up in a bun and then secured it with the hair sticks, making him truly look like a member of the ancient Sheikah tribe who had protected Hyrule's Royal Family for generations.

"There! Now, go meet Impa! She's sure to appreciate this!" Claree said proudly with a smile.

Link chuckled nervously again, gently raising his hand to touch exactly what she had done with his hair. He thanked her and then exited the store. At the bottom of the hill was the largest house in the village, with a long, straight staircase leading to the front door. He took Onyx by his reins and walked to the two guards at the foot of them. They let him pass once they realized who he was and he climbed up to the entrance, opening the double doors with both arms.

Impa sat on a red square pillow in the middle of the room. She appeared to be in a meditative state, but her eyes sprang open seconds after Link entered.

"So," she said in a sagely voice. "You're finally awake. And I see you've embraced our Sheikah heritage, Hero." She smiled and sniggered kindly.

Link looked down proudly at his clothing choice and shrugged. He was going to at least look good when he saved the world.


End file.
